Groominghttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/taxonomy/term/97/%252Ffeed
enAngel Firehttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/resorts/angel-fire?lnk=rss&loc=grooming
<p>1. You'll ski Angel Fire because you want an affordable family destination or a place where all of your friends, experts and beginners, can find terrain and a resort experience. CEO Pat Brunstad (the fact that it even has a CEO separates it from the other areas in New Mexico) came to Angel Fire in September 2008 and has been hard at work changing the resort from a disorganized, sprawling area into a first rate family destination ever since. On hill, you'll find a wide array of mellow glades, long groomers, and a fantastic ski school. Off hill you'll find hotels, condos, and a variety of other winter sports. But don't think you can't be challenged here, Angel Fire has a selection of steeps that see little traffic.</p>
<p>2. Bring your own groceries. Angel Fire isn't a town. Its smattering of shops, hotels, and condos are spread throughout the resort property and it lacks a robust grocery store. Most accommodations at Angel Fire include well appointed kitchens, so on your drive in stop by Cids' Food Market in Taos to stock up.</p>
<p>3. Don't forget the night skiing. And shovel racing. Angel Fire is the only resort in New Mexico that offers night skiing starting at 4 p.m. But the signature event at Angel Fire is the annual shovel race every February. A word of caution: They are dedicated shovel riders. This isn't the sort of event where you ride your shovel dressed like Snuffleupagus while pounding a beer; instead, expect spandex speed suites and helmets.</p>
<p>4. How to ski a powder day: If it hasn't been windy the night before, start the day on Silver Chute and Maxwell's Grant. Both runs are accessed by sidestepping up a small rise on your left after exiting the Chile Express Chair. Wind and sun take their toll on the snowpack here, so hit them early. After two runs, the patrol should have dropped the rope on Domingo, the wide open run directly below the Chile Express. Stay out of the middle of the run as it's rocky and a few chunks of concrete remain from an older lift system. On the backside, stick to Charisma and Hari Kari, two of the steepest lines on the mountain that get passed over for Hell's Bells and Angel's Plunge. On the off chance you start running out of powder, duck down the trees to skiers left of Hari Kari. They look tight, but you'll find lines all the way to the bottom.</p>
<p>5. Where to ski three days later: Head toward Angel's Plunge. Instead of dropping into the run, keep traversing further into the trees. If the snow is deep enough, this area, with its backcountry feel and cliff lines, can keep you going all day. Another option is to take the 10-minute hike out to Nitro, Detonator, and Ba-Da Bing. Beware, Nitro and Detonator both have long, flat run outs. Instead of taking the runs to the bottom, cut skier’s left after the first steep pitch and head back to Arriba, a blue cruiser that goes straight to the lift. </p>
<p>6. Where to stay: Angel Fire Resort is as much real estate development as it is ski hill, with privately owned homes making up the majority of lodging options. Most are available for rent and you can easily find a comfortable home or cabin for a week's stay. With some places sleeping up to 20 people, you and all your friends can stay in a small mansion for about $30 a night [<a href="http://www.discoverangelfire.com" target="_blank">discoverangelfire.com</a>]. Save Cash: Head to Eagles Nest, about 11 miles away where you can hang out in one of New Mexico’s last frontier towns. Try the Laguna Vista Cabins [<a href="http://www.lagunavistalodge.com" target="_blank">lagunavistalodge.com</a>]. Or stay next to the lifts at the Lodge at Angel Fire where a room for two adults with lift tickets and breakfast is only $178 per night. Splurge: The irony about Angel Fire's resort-style vibe is that, short of actually buying a house, nothing is that expensive. In fact, even as a family, it will be easy to find an affordable condo or small house for $200 per night. </p>
<p>7. Where to eat. Dinning options in Angel Fire are limited, which is why it's best to rent a house or condo with a kitchen and do your own cooking. On a night out, head to the Lodge at Angel Fire's En Fuego wine bar for nightly live music, then have a prime rib at the Caliente Grill. For a more low key evening, try the Roasted Clove's Burger Night every Monday or swing in for a cooking class during the week. If you need an excuse to break out your white dinner coat with tails, wait until this May when Angel Fire opens its new $15 million country club.</p>
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/resorts/angel-fire#commentsResortsNew MexicoSouthern RockiesDiningFamilyGroomingLift ServiceLodgingOn-Mountain FoodOverallSceneryTerrainTerrain ParkValueskiing61279http://www.skinet.com/skiing/files/skinetimages/content/images/2007/dumpoftheweek/1_22_07/angelfirem.jpg20009Angel Fire, New Mexico
With a name like Angel Fire, you might expect more heat than cold. But with last week's 2 foot dump - yep, you heard right - we can be sure that they're in the snow business.<br>Photo Courtesy of Angel Fire Resort
Seven things you need to know to ski Angel Fire.<p>1. You'll ski Angel Fire because you want an affordable family destination or a place where all of your friends, experts and beginners, can find terrain and a resort experience. CEO Pat Brunstad (the fact that it even has a CEO separates it from the other areas in New Mexico) came to Angel Fire in September 2008 and has been hard at work changing the resort from a disorganized, sprawling area into a first rate family destination ever since. On hill, you'll find a wide array of mellow glades, long groomers, and a fantastic ski school. Off hill you'll find hotels, condos, and a variety of other winter sports. But don't think you can't be challenged here, Angel Fire has a selection of steeps that see little traffic.</p>
<p>2. Bring your own groceries. Angel Fire isn't a town. Its smattering of shops, hotels, and condos are spread throughout the resort property and it lacks a robust grocery store. Most accommodations at Angel Fire include well appointed kitchens, so on your drive in stop by Cids' Food Market in Taos to stock up.</p>
<p>3. Don't forget the night skiing. And shovel racing. Angel Fire is the only resort in New Mexico that offers night skiing starting at 4 p.m. But the signature event at Angel Fire is the annual shovel race every February. A word of caution: They are dedicated shovel riders. This isn't the sort of event where you ride your shovel dressed like Snuffleupagus while pounding a beer; instead, expect spandex speed suites and helmets.</p>
<p>4. How to ski a powder day: If it hasn't been windy the night before, start the day on Silver Chute and Maxwell's Grant. Both runs are accessed by sidestepping up a small rise on your left after exiting the Chile Express Chair. Wind and sun take their toll on the snowpack here, so hit them early. After two runs, the patrol should have dropped the rope on Domingo, the wide open run directly below the Chile Express. Stay out of the middle of the run as it's rocky and a few chunks of concrete remain from an older lift system. On the backside, stick to Charisma and Hari Kari, two of the steepest lines on the mountain that get passed over for Hell's Bells and Angel's Plunge. On the off chance you start running out of powder, duck down the trees to skiers left of Hari Kari. They look tight, but you'll find lines all the way to the bottom.</p>
<p>5. Where to ski three days later: Head toward Angel's Plunge. Instead of dropping into the run, keep traversing further into the trees. If the snow is deep enough, this area, with its backcountry feel and cliff lines, can keep you going all day. Another option is to take the 10-minute hike out to Nitro, Detonator, and Ba-Da Bing. Beware, Nitro and Detonator both have long, flat run outs. Instead of taking the runs to the bottom, cut skier’s left after the first steep pitch and head back to Arriba, a blue cruiser that goes straight to the lift. </p>
<p>6. Where to stay: Angel Fire Resort is as much real estate development as it is ski hill, with privately owned homes making up the majority of lodging options. Most are available for rent and you can easily find a comfortable home or cabin for a week's stay. With some places sleeping up to 20 people, you and all your friends can stay in a small mansion for about $30 a night [<a href="http://www.discoverangelfire.com" target="_blank">discoverangelfire.com</a>]. Save Cash: Head to Eagles Nest, about 11 miles away where you can hang out in one of New Mexico’s last frontier towns. Try the Laguna Vista Cabins [<a href="http://www.lagunavistalodge.com" target="_blank">lagunavistalodge.com</a>]. Or stay next to the lifts at the Lodge at Angel Fire where a room for two adults with lift tickets and breakfast is only $178 per night. Splurge: The irony about Angel Fire's resort-style vibe is that, short of actually buying a house, nothing is that expensive. In fact, even as a family, it will be easy to find an affordable condo or small house for $200 per night. </p>
<p>7. Where to eat. Dinning options in Angel Fire are limited, which is why it's best to rent a house or condo with a kitchen and do your own cooking. On a night out, head to the Lodge at Angel Fire's En Fuego wine bar for nightly live music, then have a prime rib at the Caliente Grill. For a more low key evening, try the Roasted Clove's Burger Night every Monday or swing in for a cooking class during the week. If you need an excuse to break out your white dinner coat with tails, wait until this May when Angel Fire opens its new $15 million country club.</p>
resortThu, 04 Dec 2008 03:55:20 +0000SkiNet Editor61279 at http://www.skinet.com/skiingSmugglers' Notchhttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/resorts/smugglers-notch?lnk=rss&loc=grooming
<p>Smugglers’ Notch markets itself as a family-friendly resort, and with good reason. Localized base areas, solid ski school programs and plenty of evening activities (like ice skating and tubing) make the resort enjoyable for all ages. Still, the slogan “America’s Family Resort” masks the burlier side of Smuggs. Beneath the familial veneer lies a playground of steeps, bumps, and glades. Ducking out of bounds can spawn trips to wooded bowls and tree-lined chutes, all filled in with northern Vermont’s plentiful snowfall. The terrain at Smuggs rivals any other resort in the East, and many of the locals who make Smuggs their primary mountain do so because of the mountain’s low-key vibe. <br /><br /><strong>Start Here: </strong>Ride the Madonna 1 lift to the summit and, after soaking up the views of northern Vermont, take a high speed cruise down Upper and Lower Chilcoot. <br /><br /><strong>Quick Tip:</strong> Lines can back up at Smuggs’ slow double chairs during the earlier part of weekend days, but the whole place often clears out around 2:30 p.m. Stick around and enjoy the privacy. <br /><br /><strong>Must Hit: </strong>You can’t leave Smuggs without tackling Liftline, the rugged double black that looms over the base lodge. Scope your line as you ride up Madonna 1, then try to pick your way down through rock bands and steeps. <br /><br /><strong>The Stash:</strong> The tight trees of Shakedown hold plenty of twists and turns as the trail spills down the lower flanks of Madonna Mountain. If you continue past Shakedown on Lower Drifter, just about anywhere you drop in will hold the goods. <br /><br /><strong>Powder Day:</strong> If you can grab first tracks on Liftline, do so. Otherwise, go straight to Doc Dempsey’s Glades. Follow Upper Chilcoot to Catwalk, then bang a right onto Doc Dempsey’s. Steep bumps give way to open glades, and long-lasting snow means plenty of opportunities for freshies. <br /><strong><br />Three Days Later:</strong> For a run that appears on the trail map, The Black Hole can be damn hard to find. Then again, that means the snow lasts longer. Hang right as you descend Liftline, then duck into Black Hole once you notice enough of an opening in the woods. Powder stashes abound. <br /><br /><strong>Park and Pipe</strong>: The beginner terrain on Morse Mountain offers a couple of mellow parks. For bigger hits and more features, head over to Birch Run and The Zone on Sterling Mountain. <br /><br /><strong>Backcountry Access:</strong> As you get off the Sterling Lift, head straight back toward the bullwheel. Unless you have first chair on a powder day, you’ll be able to follow a trail past a lean-to and through the woods, emerging atop a series of treed chutes that drop you back onto Shuttle. <br /><br /><strong>Weather:</strong> Come March, most of the bitter cold has left Vermont. So have most of the families vacationing from southern New England. In other words, come springtime, there’s better weather and smaller crowds. <br /><br /><strong>Après:</strong> Grab a seat at the Black Bear Tavern in the base lodge on Madonna and order a pint of Prohibition Ale. The beer, made by Vermont’s Long Trail Brewing Company, is only available at Smuggs. <br /><br /><strong>Fuel:</strong> Warm up at lunch with a chili bread bowl from the cafeteria in the Madonna and Sterling Base Lodge. It’s easily the best item on the menu (second place goes to the sweet potato fries). <br /><br /><strong>Up All Night:</strong> You won’t find much in the way of raging nightlife, but the Smuggs access road and the quaint town of Jeffersonville have a few tasty restaurants to choose from. Try 158 Main for quality meals in a laid-back atmosphere. <br /><br /><strong>Digs:</strong> Smugglers’ Notch Inn sits at the base of the access road. The historic building has a variety of rooms ($89 to $129 a night; <a href="http://www.smuggsinn.com" target="_blank">smuggsinn.com</a>), as well as a bakery, restaurant, and tavern. <br /><br /><strong>Elevation:</strong> 3,640 feet (summit) <strong>Vertical Drop:</strong> 2,610 feet <strong>Snowfall</strong>: 323 inches <strong>Acres</strong>: 325 skiable acres <strong>Info</strong>: <a href="http://www.smuggs.com" target="_blank">www.smuggs.com</a><br /><br /><br /></p>
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/resorts/smugglers-notch#commentsResortsEast CoastVermontDiningFamilyGroomingLift ServiceOn-Mountain FoodOverallSceneryServiceTerrainskiing59789http://www.skinet.com/skiing/files/skinetimages/content/images/2008/resorts/ski.top10e/smuggsm.jpg224722. Smugglers Notch, VT
<p><a href= https://book.vacationski.com/startpage.aspx?affid=skinet target=_blank><u><font color= blue>Book Your Trip Now</u></font></a></p><b>PHOTO:</b> Smugglers Notch Resort
The terrain at Smuggs rivals any other resort in the East, and many of the locals who make Smugglers Notch their primary mountain do so because of the mountain’s low-key vibe.<p>Smugglers’ Notch markets itself as a family-friendly resort, and with good reason. Localized base areas, solid ski school programs and plenty of evening activities (like ice skating and tubing) make the resort enjoyable for all ages. Still, the slogan “America’s Family Resort” masks the burlier side of Smuggs. Beneath the familial veneer lies a playground of steeps, bumps, and glades. Ducking out of bounds can spawn trips to wooded bowls and tree-lined chutes, all filled in with northern Vermont’s plentiful snowfall. The terrain at Smuggs rivals any other resort in the East, and many of the locals who make Smuggs their primary mountain do so because of the mountain’s low-key vibe. <br /><br /><strong>Start Here: </strong>Ride the Madonna 1 lift to the summit and, after soaking up the views of northern Vermont, take a high speed cruise down Upper and Lower Chilcoot. <br /><br /><strong>Quick Tip:</strong> Lines can back up at Smuggs’ slow double chairs during the earlier part of weekend days, but the whole place often clears out around 2:30 p.m. Stick around and enjoy the privacy. <br /><br /><strong>Must Hit: </strong>You can’t leave Smuggs without tackling Liftline, the rugged double black that looms over the base lodge. Scope your line as you ride up Madonna 1, then try to pick your way down through rock bands and steeps. <br /><br /><strong>The Stash:</strong> The tight trees of Shakedown hold plenty of twists and turns as the trail spills down the lower flanks of Madonna Mountain. If you continue past Shakedown on Lower Drifter, just about anywhere you drop in will hold the goods. <br /><br /><strong>Powder Day:</strong> If you can grab first tracks on Liftline, do so. Otherwise, go straight to Doc Dempsey’s Glades. Follow Upper Chilcoot to Catwalk, then bang a right onto Doc Dempsey’s. Steep bumps give way to open glades, and long-lasting snow means plenty of opportunities for freshies. <br /><strong><br />Three Days Later:</strong> For a run that appears on the trail map, The Black Hole can be damn hard to find. Then again, that means the snow lasts longer. Hang right as you descend Liftline, then duck into Black Hole once you notice enough of an opening in the woods. Powder stashes abound. <br /><br /><strong>Park and Pipe</strong>: The beginner terrain on Morse Mountain offers a couple of mellow parks. For bigger hits and more features, head over to Birch Run and The Zone on Sterling Mountain. <br /><br /><strong>Backcountry Access:</strong> As you get off the Sterling Lift, head straight back toward the bullwheel. Unless you have first chair on a powder day, you’ll be able to follow a trail past a lean-to and through the woods, emerging atop a series of treed chutes that drop you back onto Shuttle. <br /><br /><strong>Weather:</strong> Come March, most of the bitter cold has left Vermont. So have most of the families vacationing from southern New England. In other words, come springtime, there’s better weather and smaller crowds. <br /><br /><strong>Après:</strong> Grab a seat at the Black Bear Tavern in the base lodge on Madonna and order a pint of Prohibition Ale. The beer, made by Vermont’s Long Trail Brewing Company, is only available at Smuggs. <br /><br /><strong>Fuel:</strong> Warm up at lunch with a chili bread bowl from the cafeteria in the Madonna and Sterling Base Lodge. It’s easily the best item on the menu (second place goes to the sweet potato fries). <br /><br /><strong>Up All Night:</strong> You won’t find much in the way of raging nightlife, but the Smuggs access road and the quaint town of Jeffersonville have a few tasty restaurants to choose from. Try 158 Main for quality meals in a laid-back atmosphere. <br /><br /><strong>Digs:</strong> Smugglers’ Notch Inn sits at the base of the access road. The historic building has a variety of rooms ($89 to $129 a night; <a href="http://www.smuggsinn.com" target="_blank">smuggsinn.com</a>), as well as a bakery, restaurant, and tavern. <br /><br /><strong>Elevation:</strong> 3,640 feet (summit) <strong>Vertical Drop:</strong> 2,610 feet <strong>Snowfall</strong>: 323 inches <strong>Acres</strong>: 325 skiable acres <strong>Info</strong>: <a href="http://www.smuggs.com" target="_blank">www.smuggs.com</a><br /><br /><br /></p>
resortThu, 06 Nov 2008 10:28:20 +0000SkiNet Editor59789 at http://www.skinet.com/skiingStowehttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/resorts/stowe?lnk=rss&loc=grooming
<p>It can be annoying listening to Stowe skiers go on about how their hill is simply the best mountain in the East. Well, sure, if all you’re talking about is sustained steeps, efficient lifts, stunning scenery, rich history, the state’s highest peak, sick sidecountry, a rocking après scene, fun local culture, and cute girls who rip. Now even the slopeside accommodations are yarn-worthy since the Spruce Peak development introduced five-star rooms and dining. And a new ForeRunner quad means fewer weather holds and shorter lines. So, yeah, Stowe snobs are basically right. You could be annoyed, or you could just join them.<br /><br />Must Hit: Wind-exposed Liftline, under the FourRunner quad, varies in pitch (up to 34 degrees) and surface conditions (some groomed, some left to nature’s whim). At nearly a mile, it’ll make you glad you don’t have to make any more turns.<br /><br />The Stash: With an average pitch of 36 degrees, 3,241-foot-long Goat is arguably the most challenging trail at Stowe, if not in all of New England. Access it via the FourRunner quad on a deep, billowy day.<br /><br />Pocket fuel: Slide one of McCarthy’s&nbsp; breakfast burritos into your goggle pocket. It’s a food log that doubles as a chest warmer.&nbsp; <br /><br />The lake Effect: Lake-effect storms can drop upwards of six inches of crystalline powder on Mount Mansfield’s flanks.<br /><br />Powder Day: Line up early at the FourRunner quad, which often starts churning before its official 8:00 a.m. opening. Up top, head skier’s right on Lord, and then jump onto Lookout, a steep, ledge-ridden&nbsp; trail that begs for aggression. After that, let ’em run down Hayride, a wide, gently curving high-speed floater. <br /><br />Three Days Later: Now’s the perfect time to rip a few laps on the infamous Nosedive, a 7,500-foot-long attention getter for experts. Just be thankful you weren’t around when it was cut in 1934. Back then, the only “ski lift” was a pair of hiking boots.<br /><br />Park and pipe: Stowe is Jake Burton’s home resort, so you’d expect it to have a killer park. And you’d be right. The Tyro Terrain Park, skier’s right off of Lord, has some of the East’s biggest tabletops, hip hits, and gaps.<br /><br />Backcountry access: By taking a “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach to off-trail skiing, Stowe has tacitly encouraged exploration into the neighboring woods. Sniff around the steep, cliffy lines off The Chin, a 30-minute hike from the top of the Gondola. (Ask ski patrol for conditions.) The area off Chin Clip includes meticulously thinned trees and steep drainages that drop more than 1,000 feet down a deep cleft in the mountain’s flanks. <br /><br />Weather: Stowe relies on Atlantic-born nor’easters to deliver big days. But don’t discount the more frequent, loaded lake-effect storms—and don’t forget that March is Vermont’s snowiest (and most skiable) month. <br /><br />Après: Check out the Matterhorn, a dive bar that serves surprisingly decent sushi—and the best damn pizzas in Stowe. All that, and you can ski there, via the backcountry Bruce Trail.<br /><br />Fuel: Make tracks to McCarthy’s (in town) for homemade “freedom toast” with real maple syrup. Later, head to Gracie’s for perfection in burgers, chicken wings, and grilled fish. <br /><br />Up all night: Smack booty at the Rusty Nail, Stowe’s best venue for live bands and cheap booze. <br /><br />Digs: The Mountaineer isn’t the best deal around , but it encourages pets, room sharing, and 20-person hot tubbing (stowemountaineerinn.com). <br /><br /><br /></p>
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/resorts/stowe#commentsResortsEast CoastVermontApres SkiDiningFamilyGroomingLift ServiceOn-Mountain FoodSceneryServiceskiing59784http://www.skinet.com/skiing/files/_images/2009-04/Stowe Gondola_LandwehrleStudio.jpg651976. Stowe, VT
<!--paging_filter--><!--paging_filter-->A quick charming bus ride through the countryside from Burlington International Airport will get you to Stowe in just 40 minutes. For a more unique route from major cities like D.C. or New York City, take a train ride with Amtrak. Once there, take the complimentary Stowe Mountain Road Shuttle to get to and from the village and Spruce Peak or Mansfield base areas.<br><br>
<b>More Info:</b> <a href=http://www.stowe.com/vacation/ target=_blank><u>www.stowe.com/vacation</u></a>, <a href= http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Station/Station_Page&c=am2Station&cid=1080080552542&ssid=104 target=_blank><u>www.amtrak.com</u></a>
With an average pitch of 36 degrees, 3,241-foot-long Goat is arguably the most challenging trail at Stowe, if not in all of New England.<p>It can be annoying listening to Stowe skiers go on about how their hill is simply the best mountain in the East. Well, sure, if all you’re talking about is sustained steeps, efficient lifts, stunning scenery, rich history, the state’s highest peak, sick sidecountry, a rocking après scene, fun local culture, and cute girls who rip. Now even the slopeside accommodations are yarn-worthy since the Spruce Peak development introduced five-star rooms and dining. And a new ForeRunner quad means fewer weather holds and shorter lines. So, yeah, Stowe snobs are basically right. You could be annoyed, or you could just join them.<br /><br />Must Hit: Wind-exposed Liftline, under the FourRunner quad, varies in pitch (up to 34 degrees) and surface conditions (some groomed, some left to nature’s whim). At nearly a mile, it’ll make you glad you don’t have to make any more turns.<br /><br />The Stash: With an average pitch of 36 degrees, 3,241-foot-long Goat is arguably the most challenging trail at Stowe, if not in all of New England. Access it via the FourRunner quad on a deep, billowy day.<br /><br />Pocket fuel: Slide one of McCarthy’s&nbsp; breakfast burritos into your goggle pocket. It’s a food log that doubles as a chest warmer.&nbsp; <br /><br />The lake Effect: Lake-effect storms can drop upwards of six inches of crystalline powder on Mount Mansfield’s flanks.<br /><br />Powder Day: Line up early at the FourRunner quad, which often starts churning before its official 8:00 a.m. opening. Up top, head skier’s right on Lord, and then jump onto Lookout, a steep, ledge-ridden&nbsp; trail that begs for aggression. After that, let ’em run down Hayride, a wide, gently curving high-speed floater. <br /><br />Three Days Later: Now’s the perfect time to rip a few laps on the infamous Nosedive, a 7,500-foot-long attention getter for experts. Just be thankful you weren’t around when it was cut in 1934. Back then, the only “ski lift” was a pair of hiking boots.<br /><br />Park and pipe: Stowe is Jake Burton’s home resort, so you’d expect it to have a killer park. And you’d be right. The Tyro Terrain Park, skier’s right off of Lord, has some of the East’s biggest tabletops, hip hits, and gaps.<br /><br />Backcountry access: By taking a “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach to off-trail skiing, Stowe has tacitly encouraged exploration into the neighboring woods. Sniff around the steep, cliffy lines off The Chin, a 30-minute hike from the top of the Gondola. (Ask ski patrol for conditions.) The area off Chin Clip includes meticulously thinned trees and steep drainages that drop more than 1,000 feet down a deep cleft in the mountain’s flanks. <br /><br />Weather: Stowe relies on Atlantic-born nor’easters to deliver big days. But don’t discount the more frequent, loaded lake-effect storms—and don’t forget that March is Vermont’s snowiest (and most skiable) month. <br /><br />Après: Check out the Matterhorn, a dive bar that serves surprisingly decent sushi—and the best damn pizzas in Stowe. All that, and you can ski there, via the backcountry Bruce Trail.<br /><br />Fuel: Make tracks to McCarthy’s (in town) for homemade “freedom toast” with real maple syrup. Later, head to Gracie’s for perfection in burgers, chicken wings, and grilled fish. <br /><br />Up all night: Smack booty at the Rusty Nail, Stowe’s best venue for live bands and cheap booze. <br /><br />Digs: The Mountaineer isn’t the best deal around , but it encourages pets, room sharing, and 20-person hot tubbing (stowemountaineerinn.com). <br /><br /><br /></p>
resortThu, 06 Nov 2008 10:26:52 +0000SkiNet Editor59784 at http://www.skinet.com/skiing